People all over the world have learned that high quality coffee is a drink to delight the taste buds. At home, at work, or while shopping, people love getting their coffee fix. Espresso is one of the best kinds of coffees. The espresso beans are readily available and have a delicious taste. If you have an espresso machine, it is easy to make, and doesn’t cost anywhere near what gourmet coffee shops charge. With an espresso machine and a little skill, you can have the wonderful flavor and aroma of espresso any time, and once you learn the steps, it’s easy to make!

Espresso is an extraction of coffee using a high pressure espresso machine. The following instructions are general, so they may need to be modified slightly for the type of espresso machine you have. But the fundamentals of making espresso are the same.

The darkness is my refuge. Nocturnal people usually are active at night. At a time where others would be asleep and having rapid eye movements, these people would be doing their stuff, literally and figuratively turning day into night. What are the perks of being a night owl? For starters, because most people would be in slumber, you are free to roam and do whatever you want.

The blackness of night actually works to your advantage because you are somewhat hidden from others, specifically from those whom you do not want to show yourself to. The term moonshine actually hailed from that premise. It often connotes doing something which is unlawful or illegal, and that is the reason why it is basically done at night.[Read more…]

Many of us, especially in the European countries, enjoy the taste of wine. Wine making is a practice of many people thousand of years ago. Before the advancement of technology, wine making was really a long process, and if we trace its history, wine making is one form of socialization and passionate work. After making the wine, they enjoy it with a feast of thanksgiving. Nowadays, we enjoy fine quality wines by buying it in a wine store just around the corner. [Read more…]

Rum is one of the more distinctive alcoholic beverages because of its variety of flavors, and rum brands such as Bacardi are some of the more popular ones in the liquor store. It’s a big product in the Caribbean where most of it is made and plays a role in the culture of the West Indies.

It’s even found in the history books because of the part it played in the English slave trade. It was also one of the more popular items with the pirates of the 17th century, who frequented the Caribbean and the Indies regions.

Manufacturing Rum

It’s quite difficult to manufacture rum on your own, especially if you don’t find yourself the owner of a distillery or some other sort of processing facility. Developing your own blend and mix for rum could also take a lot of time because of the number of factors involved in creating the final flavor of the rum. It is made even more difficult by the fact that there is no set recipe or specifications for rum and that the institutions that make rum predictably keep their methods a tightly guarded secret.

Making Rum – An Overview

Initially, rum was made from molasses, one of the substances that get left behind when sugar is made or processed. As rum-making developed, it has also become common to add other byproducts from the processing of cane sugar.

Once the molasses and other ingredients have been procured, the fermentation process is begun, commonly with the use of yeast. While wild yeasts can be used, many manufacturers prefer to use a particular strain to make the results more predictable. The yeast used is one of the major factors in determining the taste in the rum because a longer fermentation time makes for rum with a more full-bodied taste.

The fermented product is then distilled with the use of stills. There are two kinds of stills that can be used in producing rum – pot stills and column stills. The type used is another determining factor in the taste. Pot stills tend to leave behind more impurities in the distilled product, giving it a richer flavor.

The distilled liquid is then put in casks to age. Using different types of casks will result in different flavors, ranging from new casks for lighter flavors to heavily charred casks for richer tastes. The aging process can take anywhere from two to seven years. Many factors can affect the aging process, such as the climate and other additives (like caramel) that were used in the rum.

If you’re interested in and serious about making your own rum, be prepared for a major investment in terms of time and finances. You’ll find that manufacturing rum will be difficult but can also be very rewarding.

A vodka martini that’s shaken instead of stirred is perhaps one of the most memorable associations with Brit superspy James Bond (although Daniel Craig doesn’t seem to care as much).

But there’s more to martinis than just imitating the pop icon. You can try the bar favorite in any number of flavors, and you’re free to experiment with the wide variety of commercially available liquor and ingredients. It all just begins with knowing how to mix the basic martini.[Read more…]